Adult, Child, Couple, and Family Therapy in Seattle

Surviving Out Loud

Getting a mood disorder is like getting the flu. It strikes seemingly at random. No one is to blame. No one should feel ashamed or guilty that they have it. There’s no vaccine or miracle cure, but there is hope. It sucks, but it will get better with treatment and care.

That’s why I love Katherine Stone’s album of postpartum mood survivors over on her great Postpartum Progress site. Just beautiful families who have overcome great hardship to survive and thrive. As Stone says, “We aren’t defective. We aren’t strange or unusual. We are great moms who were waylaid temporarily by a terrible illness.”

And there’s nothing shameful in being laid up by a terrible illness. Indeed, in the same way that catching the flu can make a body more resistant to future illness, surviving a postpartum mood disorder makes a family tougher and more resilient in the face of future struggles.

Shannon Armitage, LMFT

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in Seattle who treats depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns, as well as offering marriage counseling, parent coaching, and family therapy. My psychotherapy office offers sessions on a sliding scale basis, with weekend and evening appointments available. I am located in the Columbia City neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, near Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, Seward Park, Mount Baker, Capitol Hill, and the Central District, walking distance from the #7, #9, and #50 bus. Contact me and the Center for Life Transitions, LLC at lifetransitions@gmail.com.